Looking For Advice

[Cronac]

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Hello All!

Now that I am in my fourth semester as an undergrad, I think it is time to check in and see if anybody has any tips on how to progress towards medical school.

Just to give you guys some background:

I started bad in my freshman year as a chemical engineering major, and now in my fourth semester, I am sitting at a 2.74 cGPA with a science GPA somewhere in the mid to high 3s (I didn't sit and calculate the exact GPA yet) after switching to biochemistry after my first semester. I have been consistently improving my grades, but I still worry about my GPA a lot.

This semester is going well so far, and I am taking 5 classes, but I am debating dropping one (Not due to difficulty of work, I just can't understand the accent of my public speaking professor.) This would be my second W on my transcript if I withdrew from this course.

I can graduate in two years if I take some heavy semesters, but I am debating if a third year would be better. I don't know if I want to take my MCAT next year, or the year after.

I am an NJ resident and have been an EMT-B for four years now. I think I'm favoring going to a DO school right now, but I would be willing to go to an MD school as well.

Does anybody have any tips on how to get through this maze that is my situation?

 

[MrPolarZero]

I think it would be better if you don't rush with your studies. At this point, it seems that you are still doing fine. Taking a heavy sem will likely be hard on you.

 

[shushumiga]

2.75 cGPA is wayyy low for MD schools and low for DO. Good thing is you switched to Biochem, do well in it. It is always a plus to have heavy semesters because IMO prepares you for med school where the classes are so heavy. Start studying for the MCAT now and by the time you graduate you will be good for it + of course lots of practice. GL

 

[Pons Asinorum]

2.75 cGPA is wayyy low for MD schools and low for DO. Good thing is you switched to Biochem, do well in it. It is always a plus to have heavy semesters because IMO prepares you for med school where the classes are so heavy. Start studying for the MCAT now and by the time you graduate you will be good for it + of course lots of practice. GL

This is terrible advice. If getting into an MD/DO program is what you want, you need to rehabilitate your GPA. Biochem might not be the best place for you to do that, and taking "heavy semester" also might hamper that, only you can determine. You need to make a 4.0 from this point on though, regardless. For the MCAT, you need to be able to devote a daily block of time for 3 months to study. How long that block of time is is also dependent on you. SN2ed has a great schedule worked out in the MCAT subforum. Make friends with it. Don't take the MCAT until your practice FL exams are averaging the score you want/need based on your GPA.

 

[Cronac]

I know my GPA isn't the best, but I think have time to raise it. Semester wise, my first semester was a 1.6 (I had some medical issues on top of being in a major I hated), but after switching to biochem, I managed to pull of a 3.1 followed by a 3.3. My goal this semester is at least a 3.7. I think I can pull myself up a lot before I apply, and I've considered doing a master's program in the event my GPA is not at a level I'm happy with.

 

[Pons Asinorum]

I know my GPA isn't the best, but I think have time to raise it. Semester wise, my first semester was a 1.6 (I had some medical issues on top of being in a major I hated), but after switching to biochem, I managed to pull of a 3.1 followed by a 3.3. My goal this semester is at least a 3.7. I think I can pull myself up a lot before I apply, and I've considered doing a master's program in the event my GPA is not at a level I'm happy with.

Median GPA for matriculating medical school students is ~3.7. You need to never make less than an A again. Full stop. Take your current grades and plug them into one of the various AMCAS GPA calculating spread sheets that's floating around and then see how many hours at 4.0 it will take you to get your GPA competitive. Most people grossly underestimate the number of hours required to repair, say, 15 credit hours at a 1.6 GPA. A master's program will do nothing for your GPA issue. Only undergraduate classes will repair the damage you've done so far, so you need to try to stretch out your undergraduate degree as much as possible or look at post-bacc programs.

 

[0919mmk]

This is terrible advice. If getting into an MD/DO program is what you want, you need to rehabilitate your GPA. Biochem might not be the best place for you to do that, and taking "heavy semester" also might hamper that, only you can determine. You need to make a 4.0 from this point on though, regardless. For the MCAT, you need to be able to devote a daily block of time for 3 months to study. How long that block of time is is also dependent on you. SN2ed has a great schedule worked out in the MCAT subforum. Make friends with it. Don't take the MCAT until your practice FL exams are averaging the score you want/need based on your GPA.

Haha - Pons, going around sweeping up after bad advice. Good man.

And OP, he's right. Don't take a load you can't handle. Get A's instead.

 

[Cronac]

I'm favoring DO right now (not on a due to grades, I like other aspects). My GPA is based off of 42 GPA hours, and I'm toying with the AMCAS GPA spreadsheet right now. My current goal is to come out with a 3.3 minimum, which I think I can do. I don't feel hopeless, but I do feel the pressure. My current semester isn't exactly heavy. I have three easy classes and two hard sciences, all of which I'm fine in right now.

Also, thank you all for the advice. Some of the people on SDN seem absolutely ungrateful and rude.

 

[Pons Asinorum]

I'm favoring DO right now (not on a due to grades, I like other aspects). My GPA is based off of 42 GPA hours, and I'm toying with the AMCAS GPA spreadsheet right now. My current goal is to come out with a 3.3 minimum, which I think I can do. I don't feel hopeless, but I do feel the pressure. My current semester isn't exactly heavy. I have three easy classes and two hard sciences, all of which I'm fine in right now.

Also, thank you all for the advice. Some of the people on SDN seem absolutely ungrateful and rude.

Sounds like you know what you're getting yourself into. A 3.3 isn't a kiss of death by any means. Just make it happen, show schools a strong upward trend and do well on the MCAT.

 

[Prncssbuttercup]

Pons always gives good advice. Seriously, don't be a **** like I was and screw up your grades by trying to take too many, or whatever the reason. Ws are bad, some schools see them just like an F, so don't be dropping classes right/left unless you HAVE to... you'd be better off taking 5 years if it meant you had a 4.0 every term... I am back in the books after 10 years trying to undo the damage I did as a kid... don't do that... it blows to work in a crappy job (in your field or not) if you want to be in medicine...